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How do I access emails which are no longer on my email client server but still on my computer and Thunderbird?

miketheshopper
miketheshopper
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Hello everyone,

I have a problem with accessing emails. The storage on my email account was full, so I decided to download all emails via IMAP synchronization using Thunderbird. All of the emails were stored locally (as evident from the size of the inbox folder) and I proceeded to delete all messages on my email server. As the two mailboxes of my email client and Thunderbird are synchronized, I am no longer able to see the downloaded messages. As evident by the size of the inbox folder in my profile folder, they are still present, however. I also denied all suggestions to compact the folder to save disk space. Additionally, I have backed up my profile folder in a different location.

I want to be able to access these old emails again, how would I go about doing that? I realize that I forgot to drop-and-drag them to a local folder. They are still in my profile folder but, because of the synchronization, don't show up. I found no answer through my web searches and questions by other community members.

Any help would be much appreciated!

- Yak

Hello everyone, I have a problem with accessing emails. The storage on my email account was full, so I decided to download all emails via IMAP synchronization using Thunderbird. All of the emails were stored locally (as evident from the size of the inbox folder) and I proceeded to delete all messages on my email server. As the two mailboxes of my email client and Thunderbird are synchronized, I am no longer able to see the downloaded messages. As evident by the size of the inbox folder in my profile folder, they are still present, however. I also denied all suggestions to compact the folder to save disk space. Additionally, I have backed up my profile folder in a different location. I want to be able to access these old emails again, how would I go about doing that? I realize that I forgot to drop-and-drag them to a local folder. They are still in my profile folder but, because of the synchronization, don't show up. I found no answer through my web searches and questions by other community members. Any help would be much appreciated! - Yak

Chosen solution

Once you have emails in Local Folders mail account, you can compact the folders in the imap account. Right click on each folder in turn and select 'compact'.

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All Replies (3)

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Imap accounts only show what is on server. You are correct in saying forgot to copy them out of imap account into the 'Local folders' mail account which does not synchronise with any server.

Suggest you try this: Download ImportExportTools addon extension: https://addons.thunderbird.net/en-US/thunderbird/addon/importexporttools/

How to install addon: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/installing-addon-thunderbird

Right click on 'Local Folders' mail account and select: ImportExportTools > Import mbox files Choose either first or second option depending upon whether you had subfolders or not. Click on OK Locate the mbox files in your backup, select and clickon Open. mbox files should get imported into 'Local folders' mail account.

Toad-Hall
Toad-Hall
  • Top 10 Contributor
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Chosen Solution

Once you have emails in Local Folders mail account, you can compact the folders in the imap account. Right click on each folder in turn and select 'compact'.

miketheshopper
miketheshopper Question owner
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Thanks Toad-Hall! Before you replied I manually copy-pasted all the IMAP folders into the Local Folders in my Profile Folder and that did the trick as well. It wasn't that pretty and a few emails had strange subject lines but I could access them again. I might try your method later on for a nicer integration.